The social work team responsible for the case of murdered toddler Liam Fee were "split into two camps" amid "personality clashes", a misconduct probe has heard.

Lesley Bate was a member of Fife Council's child protection team (CPT) in Glenrothes when concerns were raised about Liam, who died at the hands of his mother and her partner in March 2014.

Ms Bate is facing a string of charges at the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) conduct sub-committee over her work for the authority between December 2011 and August 2014.

The hearing was earlier told Ms Bate had chosen not to intervene after Liam Fee was found badly bruised in January 2013 and failed to follow up on reports he had suffered a neck injury weeks later.

On the third day of the hearing, senior social worker Sharon Barr, who worked with Ms Bate for three months in early 2013, described issues within the child protection team.

She said: "There were personality issues in the CPT and I didn't want to become embroiled in any of it. I took the personality clashes not to be work based issues. There was a split in the team - almost like they were in two separate camps."

Ms Barr also spoke about a number of other cases which Ms Bate, 60, had been involved in.

In one case she said Ms Bate left a child "at risk of harm" by failing to follow up on reports the child's parents were "living in squalor".

In another Ms Bate recommended a girl be given back to her mother - who had assaulted her - despite bosses ordering her to change her recommendations ahead of a case conference.

Ms Barr, a former police officer, said the team had left a child, identified only as AA, "in a very risky and vulnerable condition" because of Ms Bate's failures.

She said: "The parents were living in squalor. There were dirty nappies lying around and ingrained dirt. There were blind cords hanging that posed a danger.

"There was no record of Lesley Bate carrying out any visits or of tasks being done. We had left a child in a very risky and vulnerable condition.

"No one was monitoring the situation. Her practise was not good and in my opinion it left that child, AA, at risk of harm. It was like the AA case had fallen off the radar."

The hearing is examining charges relating to 16 children that Ms Bate was involved with over the course of almost three years.

Two of the charges relate to Liam Fee - identified in SSSC papers as FF.

It is alleged Ms Bate failed to follow up on a referral regarding serious bruising Liam suffered in January 2013 and she did not follow up claims he suffered a neck injury weeks later.

Earlier, an official who investigated the social worker's conduct during her time in the child protection team told a hearing of Ms Bate's involvement with Liam and his parents, Rachel Trelfa or Fee and Nyomi Fee.

Tracey Burke told how Liam's childminder Heather Farmer - referred to at the hearing as HF - had raised concerns in January 2013.

Despite that, and subsequent concerns about a neck injury he suffered weeks later, Ms Bate failed to follow up on the case or make notes relating to it on council computer systems.

Instead, she blamed "pressure of work" for her failures - despite other workers saying her case load was not excessive.

Ms Burke said her failings were "not acceptable" and that she should have followed up allegations of child abuse "in a robust manner".